Committee reviews multi-year effort to qualify for MSBA support

Superintendent Ricardo Lagun reviewed the multi-year history that led Norfolk back to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) eligibility process. He said the district first opened the Freeman Kennedy building in 2012 and, as growth accelerated after 2017, the town repeatedly sought MSBA partnership but was declined through multiple application rounds until recent changes in MSBA criteria allowed consideration of projects for verifiable future growth. "We did 4 rounds of application, and we were not invited to participate with MSBA," Lagun said, explaining how MSBA priorities shifted after COVID-19.

Lagun walked members through the paperwork MSBA requires during the eligibility period: a formal building committee membership roster, an educational program plan detailing how new spaces would support instructional goals, and a capital maintenance plan. He told the committee that MSBA will run its own enrollment study to verify projections and that the district must submit required deliverables to remain partnered with MSBA. If the town does not secure funding at town meeting and at the ballot to move forward with the feasibility study, the district risks losing its MSBA partnership and would have to reapply in the future.